Protesters at the Occupy Los Angeles encampment prepared Tuesday night for what they believed was an imminent raid by police, with hundreds gathered at the protest site discussing emergency preparations. Click here for live video now. Excerpt from: Occupy LA Protesters Prep for LAPD Raid

Several people were taken into custody early Monday after the 12:01 a.m. deadline imposed by city officials for the Occupy L.A. protestors to leave their tent-city passed. Photo Credit: Robert Henry Go here to see the original: Occupy LA: Protesters Move Off Streets

City officials and law enforcement seem to be in prep mode for delivering the expected eviction notice to the Occupy LA protesters who have lived on the City Hall lawn since October 1. more › Original post: City Prepares to Evict Occupy LA Site, But Protesters May Not Go Peacefully

WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange made a shocking public appearance amid thousands of ‘Occupy’ protesters and hundreds of media cameras. At the London ‘Occupy’ protest, an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street sponsored by Anonymous , a sea of protesters pressed behind a line of riot cops in defiance. It was then that Julian Assange suddenly materialized before thousands of shocked protesters. The massive crowd erupted in cheers, stunned by the sudden public appearance of the WikiLeaks founder in supposed exile. The controversial international figure spoke to the demonstrators. “Like all of you, I have had difficulties getting in here today, but there are many people who haven’t yet been able to get through,” Julian Assange told the protesters. “This movement is not about the destruction of law, it is about the construction of law,” Assange continued. “I just wanted to say, we are all individuals.” The crowd of awe-struck ‘Occupy’ protesters cheered as WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange tossed handfuls of candy to the stunned crowd, then quickly disappeared. WikiLeaks Julian Assange ‘Occupy’ Protest Video See more here: WikiLeaks Julian Assange ‘Occupy’ Shocker

Has the California government gone gay? With the slew of pro-LGBT laws just signed by Governor Jerry Brown , shocked observers insist that the Golden State has come completely ‘out of the closet’. 10 gay rights bills, recently signed into state laws, have surprised the nation and the world.

The three major candidates vying for California’s newly formed 50th Assembly District , which includes Beverly Hills, are in favor of the growing “Occupy” movement , Patch exclusively reports. The grassroots protest is railing against corporate profits, worker layoffs, the existing federal-tax structure and other issues. Occupy Los Angeles, which is happening downtown, was launched roughly two weeks ago in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street in New York, which began about a month ago. “I support Occupy Los Angeles in their efforts to peacefully demonstrate to express their values and discontent,” Assemblywoman Betsy Butler , D-Marina del Rey, told Patch. ”The Occupy movement has grown out of a frustration that so many hardworking Americans are not benefiting from the resources enjoyed by Wall Street and the most fortunate amongst us.” Torie Osborn also stands behind the protesters. “Everyday people rising up to say ‘NO MORE’ to inequality is an honored American tradition. It can magnetize an unstoppable social movement for real change,” Osborn told Patch. ”I embrace this outpouring of students and veterans and teachers—and so many more—fed up with radical inequality and unfair taxation in the richest country in human history.” Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom told Patch that he “absolutely” supports the movement. “As a grassroots expression of people’s concerns and outrage over what’s happening in the country and world, it’s pretty remarkable,” he said. This article originally appeared on Santa Monica Patch. Be sure to follow Beverly Hills Patch on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook . More here: Assembly Candidates Back ‘Occupy’ Movement

Hospital workers at the Keck Medical Center of USC began their day-long strike at 6am this morning, protesting what they say is a serious short-staffing problem, a one-year wage freeze, and exclusion from the university’s tuition and retirement benefits plan. Noemi Aguirre, a respiratory therapist, told ABC 7 Los Angeles that one of the protesters biggest concerns are the short-staffing problems at the hospital. “We have a lot of units where we are just plain short-staffed,” said Aguirre, “and they haven’t addressed those issues for us.” She also noted that NUHW has been trying to address this problem for the past 14 months. Watch Aguirre’s interview on ABC 7: According to a press release from the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), the hospital has received $250 million in donations over the last three years, as well as pledges that amount to an additional $150 million. The statement also notes that the federal government has scheduled a hearing for Keck Medical Center managers later in October to address unfair labor practices. Hospital spokesman Mitch Treem told CBS Los Angeles , “While we are unable to discuss the specifics of our proposal publicly, we can say that our NUHW employees are among the highest-paid in the region.” The NUHW union is made up of hospital workers like radiology and surgery technicians, housekeepers, and respiratory therapists. See the original post: WATCH: Protesters Claim USC Hospital Is Dangerously Short-Staffed

Eleven Occupy LA protesters were arrested today as they demonstrated in the lobby of a Bank of America, according to the AFL-CIO’s twitter feed . The protesters began their march through the financial district at noon, stopping first at Chase bank, according to L.A. Now . more › Continue reading here: Occupy LA Protesters Arrested During Picketing of Financial District